Top 10 Dinosaur Computer Games

There are plenty of both retail and free-to-play online dinosaur computer games to sift through. This list tries to bring the releases together and formulate a top 10 based off the gameplay and overall enjoyment found in the titles. Expect both online & retail games to make the list. Read more...

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Top 10 Dinosaur Computer Games List

In the vein of other articles of this nature, for instance this one focused on pinball games, we look into the world of dinosaur computer games and assess which releases rank as the best available. To differentiate between both retail and free online dinosaur games, this article will focus on two separate top 5 lists, culminating in an overall victor. First off, heres the 5 retail dinosaur computer games that make the list, with some appraisement going towards classic series that deal with dinosaurs as subject matter.

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Dino Stalker

Having a PS2 only release during the late summer of 2002 -Dino Stalker is one of only a select few dinosaur computer games to come out for the console. It serves as a sequel to the Gun Survivor series, taking cues from its light-gun genre predecessors, creating a dinosaur based adventure within the previously Resident Evil based game series. It should also be noted that this is a cult appreciated spin-off to another cult classic Dino Crisis -which had a somewhat successful run off the back of the original Resident Evil’s success during the mid-90s.

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Turok (2008)

The most recent of Turok games may still be criticised and was hardly heralded during its tenure as a new release. However, it provides probably the best iteration of dinosaurs in a game we’ve yet to see, thanks to its Unreal 3 engine usage. Another facet of the game, and series, is the use of dinosaurs as neutral element. Players can engage them with hostility or try and use them to deal with the supposed human enemies. Either way its a decent shooter, although in comparison to luminaries like Half Life 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 or even the Call of Duty series, its hardly winning the race towards historical recognition.

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Jurassic Park: Chaos Island

Chaos Island is one of the more curious dinosaur computer games for Windows. It is a real-time strategy of the same grain as Age of Empires or even Starcraft II. Released way back in 1997, it captures the atmosphere of both a RTS building exercise and the reticent characters/locations of the second Jurassic Park film, while providing a decent objective based mission structure. Although there may be some biased from this writer on whether it deserves to be in the list or not -Chaos Island is a great example of the Jurassic Park gaming pantheon.

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Dino Crisis: Dinosaur Computer Games Classic

Much like Dino Stalker, this game was almost a palette-swap for Resident Evil 2, with Shinji Mikami also providing direction & production credits. With Resident Evil 4 changing the mechanics and immortalizing the series to this day, Dino Crisis is almost its long lost cousin, eking an existence as one of a few cult classic dinosaur computer games. Fans of Capcom’s lauded series origins will likely find Dino Crisis an equally effective use of the classic survival horror gameplay. Ammunition is scarce, dinosaurs are always looking to bite you and there is a great sense of urgency and terror.

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Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

One of the standout titles for the Nintendo 64 and an integral part in the history of dinosaur computer games. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was released in 1997 and is very similar in thematic style to Doom or even Duke Nukem. Its gameplay differs from these forebears however through the use of puzzling & exploration mechanics. The player has a hub world, which contains 7 portals to other levels, where the player must complete all of them in order to advance the plot. Its graphics were praised at the time as well as its inclusion of these puzzle elements into its shooter mechanics. Its still a testament on how to make dinosaur computer games the right way; standing above its fellow dinosaur genre brethren.

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Top 10 Dinosaur Computer Games Continued

After looking at the 5 retail games that made this list; its time to delve into the world of internet play and pick out the best 5 free online dinosaur games. Continue on for the list of these selections and check them out by following the pop-out links to them. Its surprising both the depth of this field and its inherent quality, with plenty of dinosaur computer games being fun & engaging, in a throw-away fashion at the very least.

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Bimmin

A 2D side-scrolling game, Bimmin requires the player to jump their way through levels, collecting power-ups and dodging the biting dinosaurs while increasing your speed. Its quick, fun and addictive, providing a nice time waster or calming effect after playing the more hectic online dinosaur computer games found on this list.

Dinosaurs: Computer Games Online

A simple game whereby players will try and find eggs across the game world and return them to the nest before a timer runs out. It sounds simple enough but obstacles such as prehistoric bugs and even dinosaurs can try to ruin the amount of eggs you safely deliver. Also, instead of losing the eggs that fall to the floor, players may swoop down to get them before a T-Rex shows up and eats them. “Dinosaurs" is standard fare but it can provide at least a small amount of entertainment.

Battle of The Giants: Dinosaurs

The arcade dinosaur beat-em up gets a welcome flash de-make with Battle of the Giants. In the same vein as 2D fighting game Primal Rage, players choose a species and go toe-to-toe with other varieties of dinosaur. With the addition of customisable options for your dinosaur of choice, unlockable species for future play and some old-school fighting mechanics, this game brings back some enjoyable memories of pitting an Allosaurus against a Raptor. one down side with Battlef of The Giants is its poor animations; but its fitting that a game based off Primal Rage continues this trend of visible animation frames.

Age of War 2

Age of War 2 provides the stalwart’s of tower-defence games with a tinge of stratagem in its mechanics. Standard genre mechanics like producing turrets and defend your base are present with a unit building mechanic also thrown in -whereby players can build and direct dinosaurs on the battlefield. Some extra impetus is given through the evolution of your tech tree and the subsequent upgrades that can be purchased and used during the course of the game. Its one of the better dinosaur computer games available on the internet and has some stark longevity in comparison to other free offerings. It plays like a dinosaur based Plants versus Zombies; which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Dino Strike

If there was one way to make Streets of Rage better what would it be?...Well if you couldn’t think of anything try out the game Dino Strike and see in all its glory the addition of Dinosaurs to a Streets of Rage/Final Fight clone. This side-scrolling brawler has all the hallmarks of the classic titles for both Genesis and SNES, great graphics, tight controls, boss-fights and 80s musicality. Its quite a feat for one of a few online dinosaur computer games to provide an experience close to that of the original Streets of Rage -except it has dinosaurs!

Overall Best Dinosaur Computer Games Selection: Dino Strike

Instead of choosing one of the more accomplished dinosaur computer games as a choice, it falls on the free to play online dinosaur game Dino Strike, featuring a homage to great side-scrolling brawler games of the past. Without paying anything or even dusting off an old console, Dino Strike is freely available at the link provided above, with some great core gameplay involving dinosaurs.

While Turok, being the classic that it is, comes a close second -it just doesn't compare to the overall Genesis nostalgia coursing through this players veins during bouts of Dino Strike. Regardless what your personal favourite is, there should still be enough dinosaur computer games to satiate any reticent desires, whether they be helping dinosaurs or fighting them.